Home Affairs and Culture Minister Obert Mpofu has pledged to address the large number of roadblocks and corruption in the police force.

In an interview with the state-controlled Herald newspaper soon after he was sworn in on Monday, Mpofu noted that many people are complaining about roadblocks and corruption in the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

He is quoted as saying he will deal with these issues that have been raised by motorists over the years.

“This is the first assignment I want to deal with. I have received a lot of complaints about the behaviour of some of our officers and I am going to address that. This is a people’s police force and it has to abide by the expectations of the people, at the same time maintaining law and order.”

Some people claim that police normally ask for bribes at various roadblocks, a situation that has compromised their status in modern Zimbabwe.

At times the ZRP officers manning roadblocks, some of them not sanctioned by the police force, demand spot fines even if this was outlawed.

Police are currently patrolling the streets in Zimbabwe in conjunction with members of the Zimbabwe Defence Force in what has been termed Operation Restore Order.

The Zimbabwe Defence Force staged a coup resulting in the removal of Robert Mugabe from power.